Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett has rubbished claims the rift between his player and Zinedine Zidane has widened after the first game back after Spain’s three-month lockdown.
Marca published a dramatic front page on Tuesday suggesting Bale’s relationship with Zidane was unsalvageable. But Barnett told Sportsmail, “All the rumours are rubbish.”
He also dismissed the idea there was anything sinister in Bale not joining group training on Monday. He instead worked out in the Valdebebas gym alongside Dani Carvajal.
Bale was back in training on Tuesday and Monday’s absence has been put down to knowing how his body will best navigate this period of 10 games in 35 days.
He is fit and available for Real Madrid’s home game with Valencia tomorrow.
On the subject of criticism of the way Bale warmed up ahead of his second-half introduction, he added, “If I’m Bale and I’m told to warm-up, I say, “Zidane, you play, leave me on the bench.”
“And when he came on he had some problems, he didn’t really touch the ball, or look for it, but Vinicius [who came on the same time] was just the same.”
“It’s a question of chemistry” was how Marca opened its assessment of the current situation.
Zidane requested the sale of Bale and James Rodriguez when he came back to the club last summer and he went on the record saying that the sooner Bale left, the better.
That set the tone for the season and he has only picked Bale to start 11 games this season. Rodriguez has started only four games.